Tales of an Inugami
by XFangHeartX
Summary: Join Inugami Inuyasha and the priestess Kagome as they travel throughout Nippon to rid the land of evil! Inuyasha x Okami crossover. Rating may change later on. Read and review, and no flames or hate!
1. Prologue

Tales of an Inugami

An Inuyasha x Okami Crossover Parody

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Inuyasha © Rumiko Takahashi

Okami © Capcom

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Summary- In the ancient land of Nippon, the great Inugami, Inuyasha once looked over the land, protecting the innocent from evil, but he was sealed to a tree due to a misunderstanding. Now, 50 years later, he is awakened by the young priestess, Kagome and reluctantly forms a partnership with her in order to regain his lost powers. During the journey, Inuyasha finds himself becoming closer to Kagome in a way he never expected.

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**~Prologue~**

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"Kagome? ...Kagome, where are you?"

Atsuko had practically searched the house from top to bottom, and yet, her young daughter had made herself scarce. She didn't understand it. One minute, she was playing outside with her ball, but then, she just up and disappeared.

Atsuko sighed, praying to whatever god or spirit that could hear her that her daughter had not wandered off as she tended to. She supposed that it was only natural. Children tended to be rather curious, especially when they were at the age her daughter was. Even so, however, the forest was no place for a little girl, especially during the night.

Who knows what manner of demons could be out there? Especially the kind that preyed on small children...of course, demons hadn't been around the village for quite some time since...well, she could always think about _that_ later.

"Kagome!" Atsuko called as she headed outside, looking out towards the dense forest that surrounded their home. "Where are you?!"

No answer came, causing her to sigh before she headed toward the forest...praying that she would find her daughter alive within before it got too dark.

XXX

Kagome Higurashi...no older than 6 years, clad in a pink kimono with a pretty cherry blossom pattern as well as a dark red obi around her waist. Her hair was tied back by a cute little red ribbon that her mother put there.

The young girl grunted as she climbed over the roots and stones, pushed her way through shrubs, and carefully stepped over any small holes and twigs so as not to trip. The last thing she needed was to hurt herself in some way.

"Where is it?" she asked as she looked around. "I know I saw it roll here, somewhere."

As soon as she looked up, a smile appeared on her face as she finally spotted what she was looking for: the white Kemari ball that she was playing with outside her house. She accidentally kicked it a little too far and it ended up bouncing away into the woods. She knew that her mother had told her many times not to go into the forest, knowing that there were all sorts of creatures who would jump at the chance to snatch Kagome up as a meal...but she couldn't leave the ball.

It was one of the last few things her father gave to her before he was killed by demons last winter when he went out to get firewood. Since then, Atsuko had to care for Kagome alone.

As Kagome went to go pick up the ball, she suddenly stopped as she noticed something on her pinky finger. It looked like...a red piece of thread, and it was leading deeper into the forest.

At first, she thought that maybe it meant nothing...and yet, her curiosity once again taking over, she felt herself becoming compelled to follow it. The leaves and grass crunched softly beneath her feet as she kept walking, the trees becoming thicker as she ventured further. She glanced over her shoulder every now and then if she heard any sounds like twigs snapping or pebbles moving, but when she saw nothing, she continued on her way.

After what felt like hours of walking...Kagome gasped silently at the sight before her.

It was...a man. A young man with long silvery-white hair and...what looked like dog ears sticking out of the top of his head. He wore what looked like a red short-sleeved gi and red hakama pants, as well as what looked like a long cape made of white fur. His eyes were closed and he had a look of peacefulness on his face...and whatever skin was visible, Kagome saw that it was adorned with red markings. His body was wrapped up in overgrown roots and ivy, pinning him against an old birch tree as he lied limp against it.

As she went to take a closer look at him...she saw that the red string was attached to the end of an arrow, which pierced the strange man in his chest.

"...A doggy man?" Kagome asked, her eyes lighting up brightly as she stared at his sleeping face...and for a moment, she could have sworn that he was...smiling.

"Kagome!"

Kagome gasped as she turned to see her mother, who sighed in relief as she approached her.

"Mommy!" Kagome exclaimed.

"There you are!" Atsuko said as she ran up and hugged her daughter, then gave her a stern look. "How many times have I told you not to come into the forest by yourself?! Especially when it's close to dusk!"

"I'm sorry, Mommy," said Kagome, causing her mother to sigh as she picked her up and carried her back home. Kagome blinked as she looked over her mother's shoulder at the dog-eared man that lay against the tree, the arrow still piercing his chest as he slept.

"Mommy?" Kagome asked. "Who's that doggy man?"

"What?" Atsuko questioned before she glanced back and saw the strange individual her daughter spoke of, causing her eyes to go wide. "...Oh...Inuyasha..."

"Inuyasha?" Kagome repeated, quizzically.

"Yes," Atsuko replied as she turned and walked away, carrying her daughter with her. "In fact, this forest is named after him: Inuyasha's Forest."

"Oh," Kagome muttered. "How come he has doggy ears?"

"Because, Kagome," Atsuko began, "Inuyasha is an Inugami: a dog god."

"...A god...?" Kagome whispered in awe.

"That's right," Atsuko answered. "A long time, Inuyasha once protected our village. He used a magic paintbrush to control nature as he saw fit...he could make the sun rise or the moon come out...wherever he stepped, flowers would grow...powerful gales would flow throughout the land...thunderstorms appeared at his bidding."

"...Wow...!" Kagome gaped. "But...how come he's sleeping against that tree? And why does he have an arrow in his chest?"

Atsuko heaved a small sigh at that.

"Well, Kagome," she said, "according to legend, Inuyasha once did battle with a terrible monster...an eight-headed serpent called Orochi."

"...Orochi..." Kagome whispered, fearfully.

"Orochi was a merciless, sinister creature," Atsuko said. "It was said that he controlled the monsters that once plagued our land. Once, every year, the villagers would present Orochi a beautiful young maiden as a sacrificial offering."

Kagome gulped as she clutched at her mother's kimono as Atsuko continued to tell the story, even as they approached their house.

"Then, one night...in fact, it was on the night of a full moon...Inuyasha came to the village and stole a sacred artifact from the shrine: the Shikon Jewel, said to give power to any demons who possess it. The villagers were outraged and sent a priestess to slay the god. She shot him with a sacred arrow that pinned him to a tree...but it was only after that the villagers realized their mistake."

"What happened?"

"...Inuyasha did not take the jewel for himself...he took it in order to trick Orochi into fighting him. Orochi proved to be too powerful, even for a god...so Inuyasha had no choice but to seal the monster away."

"...So...it was a misunderstanding," Kagome mused as Atsuko entered the house.

"Yes...I'm afraid it was," Atsuko replied. "The villagers didn't mean to blame the god who once protected them...to honor him, they placed his magic Celestial Brush in a shrine while he sleeps in the forest."

"...Mommy?" asked Kagome. "Do you think Inuyasha might be a little lonely?"

"What makes you think that, my dear?" Atsuko asked.

"...When I first saw him, he looked sad," Kagome replied, "and when I walked up to him...I think he started smiling."

Atsuko blinked at her daughter before she smiled at her, lovingly.

"I think maybe he was happy he got some company after so many years," she said.

"...What if I kept visiting him?" asked Kagome. "You think maybe he'll be happier?"

"Maybe," Atsuko replied, "but from now on, if you're going into the forest, at least let me go with you...and only go during the day."

"Yes, Mommy," Kagome nodded, obediently.

And so, the days passed. Kagome continued to venture into the forest along with her mother to visit Inuyasha. She would always talk about her day to him, about what she had been doing when she was at home or if she had any new experiences. As Kagome kept talking, Atsuko would notice out of the corner of her eye that Inuyasha's ear seem to flick subtly as if to pick up every word her daughter was saying.

As Kagome turned 11, Atsuko noticed a change in her daughter. Kagome claimed she could see the spirits of those long passed from the mortal coil and she could sense things that no one else could sense. Atsuko was worried, so she turned to the village elder and resident priestess, Kaede, for help.

Imagine her surprise when Kaede revealed that Kagome actually had some innate spiritual powers and they were just starting to awaken. Kaede offered to take her in as an apprentice priestess. At first, Kagome was excited at the idea...until she learned that her lessons meant she couldn't visit Inuyasha in the forest as often. Nonetheless, Kagome continued her training, but still tried to visit Inuyasha in the forest whenever she could.

Then, when Kagome turned 12...tragedy.

Atsuko suddenly fell ill one day. Kaede tried everything she could to help her. Kagome was beside herself with helplessness. She was still learning a few things and she didn't know how she could help her mother feel better. At first, everything seemed like they were going to be fine. Kagome thought that maybe Kaede's medicine would help Atsuko...but nay.

Atsuko died in the middle of fall, leaving Kagome to be raised by Kaede alone.

Kagome was distraught and despondent. She wouldn't speak to anyone...wouldn't look at anybody. She thought to herself that maybe this was all some sort of dream that she would wake up from soon and that her mother would be there to greet her...but the more time passed, the more reality began to set in. Kagome would spend nights, crying herself to sleep...asking..._begging_ the gods to bring her mother back to her.

"As much as ye pine for your mother, Kagome," Kaede told her, "no amount of tears will ever bring her back...I am sorry."

When Kagome turned 13...her tears finally ceased. She had come to accept that her mother was gone...and though it didn't stop her from missing her, Kagome continued on with her training as a priestess. She started to take up archery and began to make basic herbal remedies. The villagers came to love her, and Kagome grew to love them as well. Kaede was especially proud of how much her pupil was growing.

However...Kagome's studies and lessons took her away from the one thing she promised to do.

She barely visited the Inugami who was pinned to the tree. However, Kagome did not forget about him. She often wondered if he was sad that she didn't come to see him anymore.

Perhaps, when she had enough free time...she would go back to the forest, again.

That time was 2 years later, when Kagome was 15. As she quietly stepped through the forest, cherry blossom petals gently fell from the branches. She had no landmarks to guide her...just the little red string around her finger that only she could see.

He was still in the same state he was when she first found him back when she was a little girl: in a state of peaceful, dormant sleep...and the red string was still there, tied to the end of the arrow that had him pinned there.

Kagome smiled as she approached the tree where Inuyasha lay sealed, then she got down on her knees and bowed her head to the Inugami. Afterward, she sat up straight, staring at Inuyasha's face.

"...Hello, Inuyasha," she whispered. "I'm...I'm sorry I haven't been visiting you like I used to...so many things have happened."

Inuyasha didn't speak...not that he could, right now, anyway.

"...I decided to come and see you, today," said Kagome. "I'm a priestess, now...sort of. I've still got some things to learn." She then heaved a sigh. "...It's sad, really...I lost my Father...and my Mother...at least Kaede is here for me. She's kind of like a grandmother to me."

She looked up at him...and yet, she saw no smile on his face, causing her to sigh, again.

"...You're not gonna smile, this time, are you? That's fine...I haven't come to see you in 2 years."

She then stood up on her feet and quietly approached him...then gently placed her hand on his cheek.

"I'm very sorry, Inuyasha," she whispered. "I pray that you forgive me...if not now...then one day."

With that said, Kagome turned and walked away, headed back to the village...but if she had stayed just a bit longer...she would have seen Inuyasha's hand twitch.

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And that's just the start of it. ;)

Review, please!


	2. Ch 1- Orochi Returns

**~Ch. 1- Orochi Returns~**

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Inuyasha © Rumiko Takahashi

Okami © Capcom

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Sunset in Kaede's Village. The time of the day when the villagers finished their work and the children came home from playing to eat their dinner and then go to bed. It was a typical routine that the villagers did every day, day in and day out.

As the villagers headed inside to rest for another day of hard work, Kagome sat in Kaede's herb garden, picking medicinal herbs for the elder priestess.

"There, that's enough of them for now," said Kagome as she picked up the basket. "That's enough work for one day. Time to head inside." She then stood up and prepared to head into the hut that she shared with Kaede...but then, just as she was about to take just one step forward, she paused. She glanced over her shoulder, eyes narrowing as she stared beyond the fence.

"...Whoever you are," Kagome began, "come out, right now."

A pause...but then, something streaked through the tall grass and leaped over the fence as it jumped into her arms, causing Kagome to gasp in surprise at first, but then she laughed as she held up whoever it was.

"Hi, Shippo!"

"Hi, Kagome!" exclaimed what appeared to be a little boy of at least five years with auburn hair and turquoise, but the only thing that differentiated him from most human children was that for one thing, his ears were pointy and he had tiny fangs in his mouth. Not just that, but he had a thick, fluffy tail sticking out of his rear end, as well as two little paws for feet. His attire consisted of a dark green yukata with a white leafy pattern and a vest made out of fox fur.

This little boy was Shippo, a young fox demon and Kagome's dear friend. Just last winter, she found the poor thing all alone, about to die from starvation and hypothermia. Apparently, his parents were both killed by Thunder Demons, leaving him the only survivor. Kagome took pity on the poor kit and, though it took some doing, convinced Kaede to let her take him back to the village, where he was soon nursed back to health. So grateful was Shippo that he made a den near the village so that he could visit Kagome every day, and since then, she would often play with him when she wasn't busy with her priestess duties.

As Shippo nuzzled Kagome, she noticed that there were little burs sticking to his vest, causing her to giggle.

"I guess someone's been rolling around in the shrubs again, huh?" she asked, causing Shippo to giggle...but then his eyes took on a bit of an uneasy look.

"Umm...Kagome?" Shippo asked. "Is it okay if I spend the night in the village with you and Kaede again? Pretty please?"

Kagome's face fell from happiness to one of concern. Lately, Shippo didn't seem to want to stay in his den at night and would spend the night in the village with her. She could somewhat understand. He was probably scared to be on his own since his parents were gone...but she couldn't help thinking that wasn't the only reason why he was so intent on staying in the village with her every night.

"Shippo?" Kagome asked. "It's not that I don't like you being around or anything...but you've been spending the night here in the village with me and Kaede for the past few days. Is there something wrong?"

"Something wrong?" Shippo repeated before he shook his head. "Err, no! Th-there's nothing wrong, Kagome! I just thought you'd be lonely here, that's all."

"Shippo," Kagome began, "I know you can be a little proud, sometimes, but...there's no shame in admitting that there might something wrong. You might feel better if you tell me why."

Shippo looked up at Kagome, seeming a bit unsure...but then she gave him a gentle, warm smile and suddenly, he felt his heart be at ease.

"...Well...to tell the truth," the kit admitted, "I'm scared to be in the forest at night."

"Why?" Kagome inquired.

"Kagome...weird things have been happening lately," Shippo said. "You know that forest where the dog-eared guy is pinned to the tree?"

"Inuyasha's Forest?" Kagome asked. "What about it?"

"...Lately, all kinds of demons have been showing up there," Shippo answered, "especially at night! And I don't mean the nice demons like me. I'm talking about the scary demons like imps and ogres...and even that creepy Mistress Centipede!"

"Mistress Centipede...?" Kagome repeated as she looked toward the forest. "She hasn't been active in the forest since I was a little girl."

"I don't know what's going on," Shippo began, "but I'm scared to be in the forest at night! What if they try to eat me?"

"Oh, Shippo," Kagome said as she gently stroked Shippo's head. "If it'll really help you feel better, you can stay here tonight and tomorrow, Kaede and I will do something about the demons, okay?"

"Really?" Shippo asked as his face lit up with hope. "Oh, thank you, Kagome! I knew I could count on you!"

Kagome giggled as the kit hugged and nuzzled under her chin.

"Kagome?"

Kagome turned to see Kaede, standing in the doorway of her hut.

"Are ye coming inside or not?" she asked.

"I'm coming, Kaede," Kagome replied as she grabbed the herbs and headed inside, carrying Shippo in her other arm as she entered.

"I see that Shippo will be joining us again, tonight," Kaede said.

"Hi, Kaede," Shippo replied as he hopped out of Kagome's arms. "Something smells delicious!"

"Dinner will be ready shortly," said Kaede as she walked to the firepit with Kagome's help.

"...Kaede?" Kagome asked, prompting the elderly priestess to look to her.

"Yes, child?" Kaede asked.

"Shippo says something strange is happening," Kagome answered. "Lately, demons have been spotted in the forest, especially at night...even Mistress Centipede was skulking around."

"Mistress Centipede?" Kaede repeated. "I have not from her for quite some time, now..."

"Kaede...what do you think this means?" Kagome asked. "I know that sometimes, the village gets menaced by a demon or two...but Shippo makes it sound like a lot of them are gathering."

"It is not just Shippo who has made such testimony," said Kaede. "Rikichi has also made such claims. He says he spotted demons while out looking for firewood." She then gave Kagome a serious expression. "Kagome...I sense foreboding in the atmosphere."

"But what?" Kagome asked, worriedly.

"That, I am honestly afraid to find out, my child," Kaede replied.

XXX

Not very far from the village, to the east of the Shinshu Field and across the sandy beach lies a vast cave on the sea...over which an ominous cloud hung. Thunder rumbled and lightning split the heavens. As the dark clouds swirled and the wind blew harsh and wild, there on a large boulder lies a large sutra with red markings...but it was tattered and worn with age. Suddenly, as the wind blew harder...the sutra suddenly flew off from the boulder and landed on the water's surface, only for it to sink below the depths.

Then...the cave trembled, and out of nowhere, the boulder suddenly shattered into smithereens. Not long after...a huge shadow suddenly emerged, writing and slithering around. Soon after, the shadow split into eight long heads, growling and snarling with glowing red eyes.

**"At last...I am free!"**

Soon after this declaration, the beast turned all eight of its heads to the sky and let out a thunderous roar!

XXX

Kagome gasped as she sat up from her futon, prompting Shippo to yelp as he sat up, too.

"D-d-d-d-did you hear that, Kagome?!" Shippo questioned. "It sounded like a m-m-monster!"

"Yeah, I did hear it," Kagome whispered as she looked around. "What in the world was that?!"

"...It cannot be..."

"Huh?" Kagome muttered as she looked over her shoulder to see Kaede, staring out the door in horror.

"It has been many years since I last heard such a fearsome roar...and felt such powerful demonic energy," said Kaede, grimly. "I feared this day would come."

"What are you talking about?" Kagome asked. "Kaede, what's wrong?!"

"I should have seen the signs sooner," said Kaede. "The demons appearing at night...the storm clouds in the sky...and now, the seal has broken and the thing that we have dreaded for so long has come to pass." She turned to Kagome with a horrified expression. "The Dreaded Orochi...has returned...!"

"...What...?!" Kagome whispered in shock.

"Wait...who's Orochi?" Shippo asked, but before he could get his answer, a loud shriek suddenly pierced through the air.

"HELP! DEMONS!"

Kagome gasped before she hurriedly grabbed a longbow and a quiver of arrows before she headed outside...only to gasp in even more horror at the sight: the village was being laid waste to hordes of demons, from small imps wearing masks over their faces with menacing kanji to large ogres wielding giant clubs. The villagers screamed as they ran for their lives while others attempted to stand their ground and fight, using backhoes and pitchforks for weapons...but unfortunately, their efforts were met with disaster. The demons either bludgeoned them to death with their weapons or devoured them alive.

"What's going on?!" Shippo questioned as he hid behind Kagome.

"I don't know!" Kagome cried.

"This is the result of Orochi breaking through his seal," Kaede said. "Now that that monster has resurfaced, the demons are free to attack the village as they please!"

"AAAAHH! MOTHER!"

Kagome turned to see a little boy screaming in horror as his mother was held in the jaws of a large, topless woman with huge fangs and six arms. She had long, flowing, black hair...and she had the long body and legs of a centipede.

"Mistress Centipede...!" Kagome whispered in shock.

"MOTHER, NO!" cried the little boy. "MOTHER!"

"Kokichi...!" his mother gasped...before the demon squeezed her body so tightly in her jaws that her neck snapped...and she soon fell limp.

"NOOOOOOOO!" the boy cried with tears in his eyes. "MOTHER!"

"Kokichi, come on!" cried the boy's father as he ran up and grabbed Kokichi before he ran, taking his son with him. "It's too late for your mother! I'm sorry!"

As Mistress Centipede devoured the flesh of Kokichi's mother, Kagome suddenly found herself thrown back in time as she stared at the demon. She saw herself as a little girl, standing in the cold winter snow...staring up at Mistress Centipede while she glowered down at her with several imps at her side, some of them lying dead beneath her. In the monster's jaws...she could see her father, Hikaru, who had dropped his bloodied ax on the snowy ground.

"KAGOME, LOOK OUT!"

Kagome gasped, brought back to reality by Shippo's call as Mistress Centipede soon lunged for her, causing her to scream as she dove out of the way. As she did, Kaede fired several arrows at the demon, but they were nothing against her hard armor. The monstrous woman cackled as she glared at Kaede, who stood her ground as she prepared to fire another arrow.

"Well, well...if it isn't Kaede," Mistress Centipede smirked. "It's been quite some time, hasn't it?"

"Kaede!" Kagome cried.

"Run away, Kagome!" Kaede shouted. "I shall handle this demon, myself!"

Kagome gasped as she glanced back and forth between her tutor and the demon that towered over her.

"Kagome, what do we do?!" Shippo asked as he clung to her shoulder.

"I don't know...but we have to do something!" Kagome exclaimed...and then she gasped. "I got it!" She then looked to Mistress Centipede as she placed an arrow on her bowstring. "HEY!"

"Huh?" Mistress Centipede muttered as she turned around...only to screech in pain as an arrow was soon shot into her left eye.

"Come and get me!" Kagome called as she turned and fled toward Inuyasha's Forest, taking Shippo with her.

"You little brat!" yelled Mistress Centipede as she chased after her.

"Kagome, no!" Kaede called. "Come back!"

Kagome panted as she ran through the forest while Shippo clung to her shoulder, and Mistress Centipede wasn't too far behind.

"I'll get you, Kagome~!" she screeched.

"Kagome, where are we going?!" Shippo asked.

"We need help!" Kagome answered. "And I know someone who just might help us! I just have to wake him up!"

"Huh?!" Shippo questioned. "Who?!"

"Trust me, I know what I'm doing!" Kagome exclaimed as she looked to the ground...following the red string that led her deeper into the forest while Mistress Centipede continued to pursue them.

"You won't get away from me~!" she called after them, and that's when Kagome drew in a deep breath and shouted at the very top of her lungs.

"HELP ME, INUYASHA~!"

Deep within Inuyasha's Forest...the inugami's eyes suddenly flew open, revealing two glowing amber orbs...and a growl rising in his throat.

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Review, please!


	3. Ch 2- Awakening

**~Ch. 2- Awakening~**

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Inuyasha © Rumiko Takahashi

Okami © Capcom

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Kagome panted as she continued to run through the forest while Shippo clung to her shoulder. Mistress Centipede hissed as she crawled after them, toppling trees and smashing through bushes in her wake. As Kagome kept running, she yelped as she suddenly tripped on a root, causing her to tumble to the ground and spill Shippo as she fell. She gasped before she quickly scrambled to her feet and grabbed the young fox demon, just as Mistress Centipede was getting closer.

"You won't escape me, girl~!" she shouted.

"She's gaining on us!" cried Shippo.

"It's okay! We're almost there, I know it!" Kagome answered, but then, she turned around and gasped as she saw the centipede demon lunge for her with jaws agape, forcing her to duck out of the way while Mistress Centipede barely missed her by a hair. The teenage priestess grunted as she slid along the grass on her side, holding Shippo close to her so as not to let harm come to him, as well. She groaned as she tried to sit up, but as she did, her eyes suddenly fell upon the same familiar red string from before...and as she followed it, she gasped upon seeing Inuyasha, his body still pinned to the tree by the arrow in his chest.

"So...it's you, huh?" asked Inuyasha, his golden eyes glowering down at her.

"Inuyasha...!" Kagome whispered.

"Wait...this guy is supposed to help us?!" asked Shippo. "But he's pinned to a tree!"

"Yeah...no thanks to that damned priestess," Inuyasha cursed.

Kagome panted before she glanced back, sensing Mistress Centipede drawing nearer. Then she turned to Inuyasha before she sat up on her hands and knees.

"Great and powerful Inugami, Inuyasha," she preached. "I beg of you, please, slay these demons that are plaguing my home village!"

"...And just why should I?" Inuyasha asked, turning his head away from her with a sneer.

"W-what?!" Kagome questioned in disbelief.

"Uh...K-Kagome...!" Shippo said as he glanced back, worriedly as he heard Mistress Centipede's roars. "I think Mistress Centipede's getting closer!"

"Wait a minute!" Kagome cried. "You're supposed to be the guardian of the village!"

"Why should I help those worthless mortals?" Inuyasha asked. "I practically broke my back for them, and what do I get in return? An arrow in my chest, that's what."

"But please!" Kagome urged. "If nothing's done, everyone will be killed!"

"Not my problem," Inuyasha replied. "Maybe they should have thought of that before pinning me a tree for 50 godforsaken years."

Kagome stared up at the Inugami in shock...but then she sighed.

"...I guess I should have seen this coming," she said...her voice breaking, ever so slightly, which caused the Inugami's ears to twitch as he glanced down at her head. "After all...the village betrayed you, right? What reason do you have to protect it, again?"

At that moment, Mistress Centipede came bursting through the trees.

"Found you!" she shouted.

"AAH! SHE'S HERE!" Shippo screamed.

"But even so...this is the only home that I have...!" Kagome whimpered before she looked up at Inuyasha with tears welling up in her eyes. "Please...you have to help! You just have to!" She then sobbed as she covered her face. "I beg of you, Inuyasha! Please!"

Inuyasha's eyes went wide...but then he growled in irritation.

"Will you stop your damn crying?!" he questioned. "I can't stand seeing crap like that!"

"Huh?" Kagome muttered as she looked up at the Inugami.

"Listen, I'll help you," Inuyasha began, "but you have to pull out this arrow in my chest, first, you understand?!"

"The...the arrow?" Kagome repeated.

"What are you, a parrot?!" Inuyasha questioned. "Hurry up and pull it out!"

"But I- AAH!" Kagome cried as she suddenly found herself being squeezed by Mistress Centipede's huge thorax, which constricted around her, Shippo, and Inuyasha, who growled as he glared at the demon.

"Oh, no, we're trapped!" cried Shippo as he struggled to break free.

"Well, well...look what we have here," said Mistress Centipede. "The Great Inugami, Inuyasha. How was your little nap?"

"Heh," Inuyasha smirked. "Couldn't really sleep much with the stench of demons around me...especially yours."

Mistress Centipede narrowed her eyes and made an annoyed hiss at the Inugami, who gave her a toothy smirk that revealing a glinting fang sticking out from under his lip.

"Insolent little pup...!" the demon growled as she tightened her body around the tree, causing Kagome and Shippo to grunt in pain.

"I don't think he's helping, Kagome...!" Shippo cried in a strained voice. "He's just making her madder!"

"Ungh...!" Kagome grunted as she looked up at the arrow in Inuyasha's chest.

"Come on, hurry up!" Inuyasha shouted. "Pull out the arrow! You have a death wish or something?!"

Kagome gasped before she knitted her brow in a determined expression, then, using her free arm, she reached up and began to pull on the arrow's shaft with all her strength. Then, all of a sudden, the arrow began to glow in a bright pink light, then it dispersed in an array of tiny blue sparkles. Not long after...Inuyasha grunted as he flexed his fingers, causing his knuckles to pop. As for Mistress Centipede, she gasped in shock, but then growled as she began to squeeze tighter...but it was too late.

"HA!"

**SLASH!** With a swipe of his claws, Inuyasha soon rent Mistress Centipede's body into shreds, causing her to scream in pain. Then, in a blur of red, Inuyasha leaped up into the air with both arms spread open, then he brought them down in an X-formation, completely obliterating the demon while Kagome and Shippo both gaped in awe.

"He...he actually defeated her...!" Shippo whispered while he held onto Kagome's shoulder.

"Amazing...!" Kagome said while Inuyasha landed gracefully on the ground.

"That takes care of her," he said as he turned to face the priestess and fox demon. "Now then...I hope you brought me my brush."

"...Your...your what?" Kagome asked.

"My brush," Inuyasha repeated. "My Celestial Brush."

"What Celestial Brush?" Shippo repeated, which prompted the Inugami to give a low, irritated growl.

"Are you kidding me?!" he questioned. "My Celestial Brush! It's a giant paintbrush that I use for my powers! You came here to get me to save your village, but how am I supposed to do that if I don't have my Celestial Brush?!"

"Uh...wait," Kagome spoke before she spread out her arms. "A big paintbrush about...this long?"

"Yes, that one!" Inuyasha replied. "Where is it?!"

"...It's enshrined in the village," Kagome answered.

"Well, then, what are we waiting for?!" Inuyasha asked as he grabbed the young priestess by the arm and pulled her onto his back, causing her to yelp. "Hold on tight, wench!"

"Hey, my name's not wench!" Kagome shouted. "It's Kagome-"

Before she could finish her sentence, Inuyasha soon bolted off on all fours, causing her and Shippo to scream as she found herself clinging to his white fur cape while Shippo held onto the sleeve of her suikan. As Inuyasha ran, the wind howled loudly and a trail of flowers was left in his wake, causing Kagome to gape in awe as she looked at the dog-eared youth.

_'Mom was right...he really is a god...!'_

XXX

As the trio made it to the village...Kagome gasped at the damage that had been done. Houses were wrecked, several dead bodies were strewn about the ground, and the grass was stained red with blood. There were even severed limbs strewn here and there. She could see that a few villagers were still alive, some of them tending to those who had been injured. However, as she looked around, worry began to build up in the pit of her stomach.

She couldn't see Kaede anywhere.

"Sheesh..." Inuyasha muttered. "This place sure has changed since I've been sealed away."

"Kagome?" Shippo asked in concern while the young priestess hopped off of Inuyasha's back and ran through the ruined village, searching frantically for her adopted grandmother figure.

"Kaede?!" she called out, but all that met her was silence. "Kaede! Where are you?! Answer me!"

"...Did she say 'Kaede'...?" Inuyasha whispered.

"Kaede's the village's guardian priestess," said Shippo. "She raised Kagome when her mother died and helped train her as a priestess."

Inuyasha didn't speak...but instead, he suddenly bounded off, leaping from rooftop to rooftop while Kagome continued to search for Kaede on the ground.

"Kaede!" she called. "Kaede, where are you?! Can you hear me?!"

There was still no answer. Kagome whimpered, her heart sinking into the pit of her belly. Kaede was getting old. Perhaps she couldn't overpower the demons this time. Kagome's eyes began to blur as she felt her tears begin to return...but then...

"Kagome?"

Kagome gasped as she turned around and saw Kaede, her right arm in a sling and bandages around her forehead while a few of the younger village men walked alongside her while she used her longbow as a walking stick of sorts.

"Kaede!" Kagome exclaimed as she ran up and threw her arms around the elderly priestess, who chuckled warmly as she gently patted her back. "I'm so glad you're okay...!"

"And I am glad that ye are unharmed, as well," Kaede replied, "but tell me...where did you run off to? And what happened to Mistress Centipede?"

"I ran into Inuyasha's Forest," Kagome replied, causing Kaede and the men to gasp quietly.

"Inuyasha's Forest?" Kaede repeated before her wrinkled visage took on a more serious expression. "Tell me...did ye break the seal on him?"

"...Yes, Kaede," Kagome replied. "I had to. The village was under attack and Mistress Centipede was about to eat Shippo and me, so..."

"Say no more," Kaede replied. "I understand, my child."

"Well, well, if it ain't Li'l Kaede?"

Kaede, Kagome, and the man all looked up to see Inuyasha standing on the rooftop while Shippo still clung to his fur cape.

"Of course, I can't really call you 'li'l', no more, now can I?" the Inugami quipped.

"Who is the fellow with the silvery hair and dog ears?" asked one of the men.

"Never have I seen such a thing," said another.

"...Hello, Inuyasha," Kaede said with an incredulous stare. "I see that 50 years of dormancy has not changed that attitude of yours."

"Kaede, you know Inuyasha?" Kagome asked while Shippo hopped down from the roof to join her side.

"I know him, all right," Kaede replied. "After all...it was my older sister who sealed him to the tree."

Kagome gasped quietly while Inuyasha glared at Kaede, a bitter growl rumbling in his chest.

* * *

Review, please!


	4. Ch 3- The Truth Behind the Legend

**~Ch. 3- The Truth Behind the Legend~**

* * *

Inuyasha © Rumiko Takahashi

Okami © Capcom

* * *

The following day, after the demons had run off and things started to calm down a bit...

"So, let me get this straight," Kagome began while she poured Kaede a cup of tea. "You're saying you actually knew Inuyasha since you were little?"

"Aye," Kaede nodded. "I knew him long before you were born, Kagome. I met him around the same time he met my elder sister, Kikyo."

"So that's how you and Inuyasha knew each other, huh?" Shippo inquired. "Who'd have thunk it?"

Speaking of Inuyasha, he was currently lounging outside on Kaede's roof, his hands tucked behind his head and one knee propped up.

"Kaede, can I ask you something?" asked Kagome. "Wasn't it said that Inuyasha stole something from Kikyo and went to face Orochi on his own?"

"The Shikon Jewel," Kaede answered. "Aye, Inuyasha did indeed take the jewel from my sister...but it was only after Inuyasha defeated Orochi and was then sealed away himself that we learned of his true intentions: he used the jewel to lure Orochi out of hiding so that he could face him in battle...but there was more to it than just that."

"What do you mean?" Kagome asked.

"Well, Kagome," Kaede began, "the reason why Inuyasha was so desperate to defeat Orochi in battle...was because my sister was going to the serpent's next sacrifice."

Kagome gasped in surprise.

"But...didn't Orochi have sacrifices before then?" asked Shippo. "How come Inuyasha decided then and there to try and fight the monster? Seems pretty cowardly, if you ask me."

"You know I can hear you, right?!" Inuyasha called from the rooftop.

"Aye, Shippo, it did not make sense, at first," said Kaede, "but it is a bit more complicated than you might think."

"Why?" Shippo asked.

"...A long time ago," Kaede began, "back when I was but a young girl...my sister and I met Inuyasha while she was out for a walk in the forest. At first, he didn't approach us. He merely stood in the branches of the trees, watching us from afar. We were cautious. We did not know why he was there or what he wanted. We thought that he was after the Shikon Jewel, which Kikyo guarded and purified. We did not even realize that he was a god. Slowly but surely, Inuyasha began to get closer to us...and eventually, my sister managed to get him to lower his guard and speak with him."

"So they became friends?" Shippo asked.

"Aye," Kaede nodded. "Gradually, Inuyasha started to follow Kikyo wherever she went. It almost felt as if he were drawn to her."

"So...you're saying that Inuyasha was...?" Kagome inquired.

"He fell in love with her," Kaede confirmed. "He wanted to be by her side, always. To protect her."

"So...what happened?" Kagome asked.

"Eventually, on the night of a full moon," Kaede began, "the night when Orochi was to have his sacrificial maiden...Kikyo was the one who was chosen when an arrow struck the roof of our home."

"Oh, no...!" Kagome whispered.

"Kikyo was prepared to accept her fate," Kaede began, "but Inuyasha did not want to let Kikyo die. He tried to reason with her...but she still went, afraid for the safety of the village."

"...So that's when Inuyasha stole the jewel from her," Kagome realized.

"Aye," Kaede replied. "Inuyasha decided to use the jewel to lure Orochi into a battle...but in doing so, he had lost Kikyo's trust."

"...But he was trying to save her," Kagome said. "She can't get mad at him for that!"

"Yeah! I mean...if I were Inuyasha, I'd probably do the same thing!" Shippo agreed.

"Indeed, young Shippo," Kaede answered. "In fact, I told her that very same thing...but alas, my sister was thickheaded and stubborn. She did not listen to reason. When Inuyasha sealed Orochi away...Kikyo soon pinned him to the tree."

Kagome and Shippo both stared at the elder priestess in stunned silence. Outside, on the roof, Inuyasha stared at the clouds with a somewhat bitter expression. He sighed before he sat up and then leaped off to who-knows-where.

"What happened to Kikyo after that?" asked Shippo.

"Sadly, many years later, Kikyo succumbed to illness and died," Kaede replied. "She would never know the truth as to why Inuyasha did what he did." She then heaved a soft sigh of her own. "I was greatly saddened by her demise...but I continued to live on for her sake."

"...But what about Inuyasha?" Kagome asked.

"...I'm afraid it might take some time for his heart to heal," Kaede replied. "In the meantime, Kagome, ye must return to your studies."

"Of course, Kaede," Kagome said as she got up and walked out with Shippo following behind her. As they walked, the young fox demon noticed that his priestess friend was looking out into the distance...toward a certain Inugami that was standing on the hill with his back turned to her. Shippo blinked up at Kagome before he jumped up and perched himself on her shoulder.

"Whatcha thinking about, Kagome?" asked Shippo.

"...I can't help but feel bad for Inuyasha," Kagome answered as she watched the Inugami. "It's just not fair that Kikyo pinned him to a tree for trying to save her life."

"Well, that's gratitude for you," Shippo shrugged.

"...I'm gonna go talk to him," Kagome said.

"Huh?" Shippo asked. "But Kagome, what about what Kaede said?"

"She'll understand," said Kagome as she glanced over at a nearby temple. "And...I think I know what might help me get on his good side."

XXX

Inuyasha stood on top of the hill while he looked over the village. He could see that the villagers were still going about, making any repairs to their homes. Some were still bandaged up after the invasion last night...but it seemed that things returned to normal...at least reasonably so.

"Hmph," the Inugami scoffed. "Looks like this place did just fine without me in the last 50 years."

Suddenly, his ear twitched as he heard footsteps behind him, causing him to glance back and see that it was Kagome and Shippo, the former giving a broad smile as she held something behind her back.

"What are you doing here?" Inuyasha asked.

"I just thought I'd give you a little something," Kagome replied before she pulled out a giant paintbrush, about as big as her. "This is yours, right?"

Inuyasha's widened at the sight of the brush.

"My Celestial Brush!" he exclaimed as he grabbed it, then kissed the handle.

"I meant to give this to you, last night," Kagome replied. "Sorry I took so long."

"Well, it's about damn time you brought it to me, wench," Inuyasha said.

"Hey, be nice!" Shippo retorted. "She went out of her way to get that for you! And she has a name! It's Kagome!"

"Yeah, whatever," Inuyasha muttered as he held the brush against his shoulder.

_'Not one for manners, is he?'_ thought Kagome.

"So...Inuyasha?" she asked.

"What?" Inuyasha asked.

"My Mom once told me that you could control nature with that brush of yours," said Kagome. "So...what kind of powers do you have, anyway?"

Inuyasha blinked at the young priestess, who blinked at him with eagerness, which caused him to give her a toothy grin.

"So, you wanna see what the Great Inugami, Inuyasha can do, huh?" he asked before he brandished his brush. "Well, just watch and see." Then, he pointed his brush up to the blue sky...and that's when something unexpected happened: what looked like black ink began to form on the tip of the brush. Slowly and carefully, Inuyasha drew a circle in the sky, and soon after it did so, the ink turned a light red color, forming a shining sun!

"You can draw the sun?!" Kagome asked.

"Pretty impressive, don't you think?" Inuyasha asked. "My very first power as an Inugami is to be able to make it daylight whenever I see fit."

"It's not that impressive..." Shippo muttered, only for the Inugami to suddenly bop him on the head. "OW! What was that for?!"

"Next time, watch your mouth before you say something, you twerp!" Inuyasha barked.

"I'm just saying!" Shippo spat as he rubbed the bump on his head. "So you can make it daylight whenever you want! It's not that great!"

"I have more than one power, you know!" Inuyasha argued. "It's not just about the sun!"

"Well, what else can you do?" Kagome asked.

"Heh!" Inuyasha smirked. "I'm about to knock your socks off, wench."

"Kagome," Kagome corrected.

"Whatever," Inuyasha shrugged before he held his brush to the sky, again. "Watch this...with a single stroke of my brush, I can summon forth a mighty wind!"

With that, he swung the brush in a circular stroke...and yet, nothing happened.

"Uh...where's the wind?" Kagome asked.

"Huh?" Inuyasha muttered.

"Yeah, now it just feels hot because you drew the sun," Shippo added.

"Uh...that was just a warmup!" Inuyasha rebuked. "Okay, this time...I summon forth a mighty _wind!_" He then swung the brush again...but again, nothing happened. "...I said 'mighty wind'!" He groaned as he shook his brush. "What the hell is wrong with this thing?! Why isn't it working?!"

"Kagome, are you sure this guy's as powerful as your mom said he was?" Shippo asked. "Seems to me that she might have exaggerated a thing or two."

"Shut up, you little runt!" Inuyasha barked. "Dammit, what the hell is going on?! What happened to all my powers?! I could use all 13 powers of the Celestial Brush, but now, I can't so much as drew even a tiny breeze!" A frustrated growl released from his throat before he glared at Kagome. "What the hell did you to my brush?!"

"What?!" Kagome questioned. "What makes you think I did something?! It was in perfect condition when I brought it to you!"

"You must have done something to it!" Inuyasha shouted. "None of my other powers are working!"

"I didn't do anything to it, Inuyasha!" Kagome spat. "You have to believe me!"

"Pardon me."

Kagome, Inuyasha, and Shippo turned to see Kaede approach them.

"Kaede," Kagome said.

"I can't help but notice that Inuyasha seems to be having a bit of a predicament with his Celestial Brush," said Kaede.

"I'm not having trouble," Inuyasha said as he looked at his Celestial Brush. "My Celestial Brush is broken or something."

"The Celestial Brush is not broken, Inuyasha," Kaede replied. "50 years have passed since ye have been sealed to the tree. Since then, your powers have waned."

"What do you mean?" Inuyasha asked.

"I am saying that ye need to restore all your powers," Kaede replied, and almost instantly, the Inugami's ears and shoulders slumped.

"Some god," Shippo quipped. "You've been asleep for 50 years and now you have to regain all your powers from scratch?"

"SHUT IT!" Inuyasha barked. "I don't believe this shit..."

"I could help you," Kagome spoke up, causing Inuyasha to blink at her...but then he buzzed his lips and burst out in a guffaw.

"You? Help _me?!_" he asked before he laughed some more. "Oh, that is hilarious!"

"Hey, that's not funny!" Kagome argued. "I'm serious, here!"

"Look, wench-" Inuyasha started.

"_Kagome!_" Kagome and Shippo corrected.

"Whatever!" Inuyasha replied. "Look...I'm a _god_. I don't need help from no mortal like you."

"May I remind you that if it weren't for me, you'd still be stuck to that tree?" Kagome asked. "You _owe_ me, Inuyasha!"

Inuyasha's eyes widened...but then, they suddenly went dark as he approached Kagome, towering over her while he put a hand against the trunk of a tree, his golden eyes smoldering as he glowered down at her.

"...I hope you're not making threats, wench," he said, but Kagome glared back at him, her chocolate brown orbs burning with defiance. Inuyasha's eyes softened and he hunched an eyebrow, but Kagome's face remained the same.

_'This wench is actually challenging me...'_ he thought before he smirked. _'Well...this is a first.'_

"...Fine," Inuyasha said as he turned away from her.

"What do you mean, 'fine'?" Kagome inquired.

"I'll let you help me, wench," Inuyasha began, "for now."

"For now?" Kagome asked.

"Once I regain most of my powers, you and I are done, you got that?" Inuyasha asked. "There's not gonna be a reason for me to stick around here, anyway."

"But that's not fair!" Shippo argued. "Kagome did wake you back up, after all!"

"It's a deal," Kagome spoke up, causing Shippo and Kaede to glance at her.

"Are ye certain, Kagome?" Kaede asked. "It could be quite dangerous."

"I'm certain," Kagome answered as she glanced at Inuyasha, who glanced back at her.

_'I felt bad for him, at first,'_ she thought, _'but now...I actually can't wait for him to leave.'_

* * *

Trouble in paradise~!

Review, please!


	5. Ch 4- Yomigami and Tachigami

**~Ch. 4- Yomigami and Tachigami~**

* * *

Inuyasha © Rumiko Takahashi

Okami © Capcom

* * *

Inuyasha, Kagome, and Shippo all walked along the forest path together. Well, Kagome and Inuyasha were the ones who were walking. Shippo was still hitching a ride on Kagome's shoulder.

"So...do you have any idea on where to look for the rest of the powers?" Kagome inquired.

"Why are you asking me?" Inuyasha asked. "I was hoping you knew."

"What?!" Kagome questioned. "I was just following you! You looked so determined when we left the village so I figured you knew to where look!"

"Some god you are," Shippo added.

"Okay, you!" Inuyasha barked as he pointed at the young kit. "Shut your yap before I shut it for you!"

"Hey, don't be mean to him!" Kagome argued. "He's just a kid!"

"A smart-aleck kid," Inuyasha pointed out.

Kagome groaned as she thought back to an earlier conversation with Kaede in the village.

_~Flashback~_

"So ye are really going to help Inuyasha, then?" Kaede asked as she watched Kagome pick up her longbow and a quiver full of arrows.

"Yes, Kaede," Kagome answered. "I mean...I figured I might as well, right?"

"Kagome, you don't have to do this," Shippo said. "He doesn't really seem like a pleasant guy."

"I don't really want to help him," Kagome replied, "but...he did help save the village, so I guess I owe him that, at least."

"So ye are mostly going with him out of obligation, is that?" asked Kaede, prompting a nod from her pupil/granddaughter figure. "I see. Well, Kagome, I suppose I can only ye good fortune."

"Thanks, Kaede," said Kagome as she headed out. "I think I'm gonna need it."

"Hey, wait!" Shippo exclaimed as he jumped onto her shoulder. "You're not going without me, are you?"

"Shippo, you don't have to come along," Kagome said.

"Nope! I already decided!" Shippo rebuked. "You can't change my mind!"

"Well...okay, then," Kagome answered. "If you're sure."

"Kagome," Kaede called, prompting the young priestess to glance back at her. "I know that Inuyasha might seem brash...but try and tolerate him, just a bit. Who knows? Ye might start getting along."

"Hey, wench!"

Kagome winced before she turned to Inuyasha, who stood leaning against the doorframe with his arms crossed.

"Are you coming or not?" he asked with an irritated look in his eyes.

"...Yeah, I'm coming..." Kagome murmured as she walked out.

_~Flashback end~_

_'Some advice that was,'_ Kagome thought as she glanced over at Inuyasha, who was looking around in the forest. _'So far, all he's done is continue to call me wench. He acts like such a spoiled brat! I can't believe that this is the same guy I found back when I was a little girl!'_

She momentarily thought back to the time she was a child, looking up at the sleeping Inuyasha as he remained to the tree and all the times she visited him in the forest with her mother...and all the times she'd talk to him about her day, especially when she was feeling sad.

She felt especially sad for him because she was always thought that she was lonely.

_'At least I used to think that...'_ Kagome thought as she walked along behind Inuyasha. As they did, though...they didn't seem to notice they were being watched by several shadowy creatures that lurked behind the trees. They stared down at the trio as they walked by...or rather at Kagome in particular.

"There's a pretty little thing..."

"Yeah...she looks like she'd make a nice little playmate."

"But that guy with the dog ears might be trouble...we should get rid of him, first. And the little runt, too."

With that, the shady figures soon slinked off after the trio, who just kept walking through the forest, seeming none the wiser.

"Well, I'm stumped," Inuyasha said as he leaned against a tree with his arms behind his head.

"We've only covered a few feet of the forest," Kagome replied. "You're not giving up, already, are you?"

"Who says I'm giving up?" Inuyasha asked. "I just need a moment to think, that's all."

"Yeah, right," Shippo said as he stood on the ground. "You're just being a slacker. For a god, you sure are lazy."

**WHOMP!** Inuyasha soon stomped his foot against Shippo's head, pinning him down while the kit let out a pained cry.

"Didn't I just get through telling you to watch your smart mouth, you little turd?!" Inuyasha questioned as he ground his toes against the kit's auburn hair.

"Stop that!" Shippo shouted. "That hurts!"

"Inuyasha, leave him alone!" Kagome scolded.

"Why should I?!" Inuyasha asked. "I'm teaching the runt a lesson, here!"

"Yeah, but he's still a child!" Kagome argued. "Don't be so rough with him!"

"For your information, the kid's a demon, not a human child!" Inuyasha retorted. "He's gotta know who's boss or he'll walk all over you...or me!"

"Oh, please, Shippo wouldn't hurt a...a..." Kagome started, but then trailed off as she noticed something off in the distance.

"What's up?" Inuyasha asked.

"How long has that been glowing?" Kagome asked.

The Inugami blinked in perplexity before he turned around, and imagine his surprise when he saw a golden glow coming from the very tree that he had once been bound to.

"Uh...Kagome?" Shippo asked. "Has that tree always done that?"

"I don't think so," Kagome answered, and that's when she noticed Inuyasha walk toward it. "Uh...Inuyasha?"

"I wonder..." Inuyasha muttered as he raised his hand and reached for the light...and to his surprise, his hand sank right into it, prompting him to pull it back out.

"Hey! How'd you do that?!" Shippo asked in disbelief.

"...You guys wait out here," said Inuyasha.

"Huh?" Kagome asked. "Why?"

"Just shut up and wait, wench," Inuyasha replied. "I won't be in here long." He then gave her a snide smirk. "If you're scared, why don't you run back to the village to Old Lady Kaede?"

"I am not afraid, for your information!" Kagome barked. "I used to come into this forest all the time when I was a little girl!"

"Keh!" Inuyasha scoffed before he entered the light and disappeared.

XXX

Inside the tree, Inuyasha gaped in disbelief as he found himself in sort of valley with nothing but a starry sky and a huge, red torii gate. There seemed to be a road leading through the gate and further on ahead to a shrine entrance...except the shrine seemed to be sitting on an island on the side of this strange space.

"...Okay, then," Inuyasha muttered to himself as he walked along the path, climbing up cliffs and leaping up onto ledges in a single bound. As he walked, he found himself standing in front of what looked like a tiny puddle of some sort. It didn't look like water, but it was sparkling with a deep indigo color. That's when Inuyasha noticed a stone with some kanji carved into it.

"'River of the Heavens'," he murmured before he took a closer look at the puddle and scoffed. "Seems more like a puddle to me." He raised his hand and squinted his eyes as he spotted the shrine on the other side, from which he could see another golden glow...but there was no way he could make it that far, even if he did jump. Not to mention if he fell, there wasn't really anything to catch him, especially since it looked like there was nowhere else for him to land if he did fall. Just clouds and stars...and those did not make good footholds, last time he checked.

Suddenly, his ear twitched as he saw a different glow, and this time, it was coming from the stars above, prompting him to look up toward a ledge and see an odd shape in the sky.

"Is that...a constellation?" Inuyasha asked as he took a closer look at the odd pattern and saw that the constellation only had four stars, and yet one was missing from the end. "It looks like it's not finished." He then pulled out his Celestial Brush from his fur cape. "Well, I can fix that." He then made a tiny little dot in the sky, causing a star to appear. "That's better." He then gave a smug grin. "I'd like to see that runt try something like this...huh?"

Suddenly, the constellation flashed as something seemed to leap out from it, forcing Inuyasha to cover his eyes. As he looked up, he gasped silently as he saw that it looked like a giant white dragon with red markings similar to his own. In his claws were four orbs of yellow, red, green, and purple...and it looked like he was stuck inside a scroll painting.

**"Ahh..."** he said in a booming voice. **"If it isn't the Great Inugami, Inuyasha, the origin of all that is good?"**

"Oh, it's you, Yomigami," Inuyasha said, although he sounded almost bored. "Why did I have a feeling I'd run into you, first?"

**"50 years have passed since we last met, Inuyasha,"** Yomigami answered. **"I, Yomigami, the God of Restoration, have eagerly awaited your revival. During your slumber, the 13 Celestial Brush techniques you once possessed have scattered across this land of mortals."**

"Yeah, tell me something I don't know," Inuyasha muttered in annoyance. "I'm willing to bet that the other gods are sleeping in the stars somewhere, too, huh?"

**"Indeed,"** Yomigami replied. **"You must seek out the remaining gods and restore your lost powers."**

"Thanks again, Captain Obvious..." Inuyasha murmured.

**"Farewell, Inuyasha,"** said Yomigami as his body began to glow. **"I bestow upon you the power of Rejuvenation. Use it to restore the realm of mortals whenever it is needed."**

With that, the dragon god soon morphed into a ball of light and flew into Inuyasha's chest, causing him to glow momentarily before it subsided.

"Ah..." he sighed before he looked down to the River of the Heavens, then looked to his Celestial Brush before he gave a smug grin, once more. As he dipped his brush into the tiny puddle of stardust...the ink flowed from the tip and spread all the way across to the island where the shrine waited. Soon after, the ink disappeared, revealing a river made of stardust.

Inuyasha smirked, proud of his success...then he took in a deep breath and jumped into the river, swimming all the way across.

XXX

"Are we seriously gonna wait out here for him?" asked Shippo. "He sure seems bossy."

"Hmph," Kagome harrumphed as she sat down on a nearby log. "I can't believe I felt sorry for him, once. He's such a jerk."

"Yeah, you said it," Shippo agreed...unaware that several hands were reaching out behind them.

XXX

"Okay, now where am I?"

Having swum across the River of the Heavens and entered the shrine, Inuyasha now found himself in a forest with a path made of cobblestones. The road led him across a red bridge. As he crossed it, he saw yet another torii gate and a stone stairway beyond it.

"Where does this go, I wonder?" Inuyasha asked as he walked up the steps. At the very top, he found himself entering a dank cavern...where he found a huge, moss-ridden statue of what appeared to be a man that clad in samurai armor and his hair in a topknot. Inuyasha seemed to glare at the statue for a moment, but then he noticed something: he appeared to be holding something in his hand, except...it looked like that part was broken.

Wasn't he supposed to be holding a sword?

Whipping out the brush, once more, Inuyasha held the tip against the sword's hilt before making a long stroke, leaving a large glob of ink. With a splash, the ink soon vanished, revealing a huge sword.

"There," said the Inugami. "Now...I think that..."

Sure enough, there was that same glow, again.

"Yep," he muttered as he looked up at the sky and saw yet another constellation. Just like before, this one was also missing a star at the very end. Whistling a tuneless song to himself, Inuyasha gently dabbed his brush against the constellation, forming another star. Soon after, the pattern flashed as something came leaping out at him: a little white rat with red swirling patterns on its fur...brandishing a huge sword!

"Whoa!" Inuyasha cried as he dodged the blade, which the rat swung feverishly before he landed in front of him. "Dammit, Tachigami, watch where you swing that thing!"

"My apologies, Inuyasha," said Tachigami. "It has been far too long since I have last seen battle. Now that I am free, I, Tachigami, God of Rending, bestow my power upon you. Your ink now has the power of my mighty blade at your disposal."

"Yeah, sure," Inuyasha replied. "Now gimme."

Tachigami's body began to glow a bright light before he shrunk into an orb, which flew into Inuyasha's body, just like with Yomigami.

"Phew..." Inuyasha sighed. "3 down, 10 more to go." He paused. "You know...I think I've been in here long enough. I better check back in with the wench and that brat of hers...but I'm sure they didn't get themselves into too much trouble."

"INUYASHAAAAAAAAAAAA!"

"Huh?" Inuyasha muttered as he turned around, only to see Shippo running up to him, panting heavily.

"INUYASHA, COME QUICK!" he cried with tears falling from his eyes. "IT'S KAGOME! SHE'S BEEN KIDNAPPED BY BANDITS!"

"...I stand corrected," Inuyasha deadpanned.

* * *

Ohhhh, dear.

Review, please!


	6. Ch 5- The Truth About Kagome

**~Ch. 5- The Truth About Kagome~**

* * *

Inuyasha © Rumiko Takahashi

Okami © Capcom

* * *

_'Okay...one minute, I'm sitting in the forest, waiting for Inuyasha to come out of a glowing tree...and the next thing I know...I'm in this kind of mess!'_

Kagome grumbled to herself as she found her wrists tied behind a support beam to an old, run-down mansion in the middle of the woods...surrounded by a gang of bandits. They all grinned as they leered at her, some of them licking their lips in a sick manner...and in the middle of them was a large, burly man with a pale complexion. He seemed to drool at Kagome while holding a cup of sake in his hand, but something was...a little off. His eyes seemed to be crossed a bit, one looking one direction and the other looking in another direction.

Something just wasn't quite right about this man.

_'What's taking Shippo so long to find Inuyasha, already?!'_ she thought.

"Hey, sweet cheeks," said one of the bandits as he roughly grabbed at Kagome's face. "Lemme good look at yer pretty face."

"Hey, no fair!" shouted another one of the bandits. "I want to have a touch, too!"

"Let me smell her hair!" added a third.

Kagome shuddered as the brigands all clamored at once, trying to break free of her bonds.

"One at a time, boys!" said the bandit holding her face. "We'll all get a turn with her." He then slowly traced his hand down Kagome's neck...and preparing to slip it inside her suikan. "Isn't that right, dollface?"

Kagome growled before she raised her foot and thrust it into the bandit's groin, causing him to let out a high-pitched scream before he soon collapsed on the floor.

"Don't you even think about putting your filthy hands inside my clothes!" Kagome shouted.

"Well...looks like we got us a feisty one," said one of the bandits while brandishing a sword.

"Good," said one of his cohorts with a sick grin. "I like it when women struggle!"

_'Uh-oh...!'_ thought Kagome.

"Step aside..."

The bandits turned to face their leader, who suddenly stood up while holding a sword of his own.

"I'll deal with her..." he said in a slurred voice.

"Oh, no...!" Kagome squeaked as she tried to shuffle back, but due to her wrists being tied together, she couldn't get very far. That's when something unexpected happened: as the bandit leader swung his sword down...he seemed to unknowingly cut down one of his own men!

"AAAGH!" he cried as a bloody gash appeared on his chest before he collapsed, causing the other bandits and Kagome to gasp.

"B-Boss, what are you doing?!" asked one of the bandits. "What's gotten into you?!"

"Ugggh..." the boss groaned as he tried to cut Kagome with his sword, again, but she ducked out of the way, causing another bandit's arm to get hacked off, which made him scream in pain as he stumbled back, blood spraying from his severed limb!

"It's like he's just swinging his sword, blindly!" cried one of the bandits.

"I thought something was off!" Kagome shouted. "This man's possessed!"

"Look out!" yelled another bandit in warning as the leader swung his sword, again, only this time, he managed to cut through Kagome's bonds, causing her to stumble forward as she and the other bandits scattered.

_'Where is Shippo with Inuyasha, already?!'_ she thought as she ducked her head, narrowly avoiding her head getting cut off.

XXX

Inuyasha flew through the treetops while Shippo clung to his fur cape, the latter scanning the horizon nervously.

"Inuyasha, do you know where to find Kagome?!" he asked.

"Keep your tail on, short stuff," said Inuyasha as he stood on a tree branch. "I could smell the stench of bandits from miles away with this nose of mine."

"But what about Kagome?!" Shippo questioned.

"Relax," Inuyasha replied. "I can still smell her...she's...huh?"

"W-what is it?" Shippo asked while the Inugami took a few whiffs with his nose. "What's wrong?!"

"...Shit..." Inuyasha cursed. "We gotta move!"

With that, he quickly hopped from tree-to-tree, taking Shippo along with him.

XXX

"AAAH!" Kagome shrieked as she ducked down to avoid yet another swing from the bandit leader's sword, the blade cutting into the wall while the other bandits cowered.

"Hold...still..." the boss muttered.

"How long has your boss been acting like this?!" asked Kagome.

"W-we don't know!" answered one of the bandits. "He always gets drunk almost every day, so we figured this was normal!"

"It never occurred to you that he was possessed?!" Kagome questioned, but then she gasped as she saw their leader approaching her with his sword raised. She backed away, hoping to avoid him, only for her back to hit the wall...and it looked like all means of escape had been cut off. She looked up at the bandit leader, horror etched all over her face before she quickly closed her eyes and covered her head.

_'Inuyasha!'_

All of a sudden, the wall beside her shattered into splinters of wood. Kagome could hear startled gasps and shouts all around her...and when she opened her eyes, she soon saw why.

"Inuyasha!" Kagome exclaimed.

"You idiot!" Inuyasha shouted as he held off the possessed leader's sword with the Celestial Blush. "What are you doing, getting yourself caught, you stupid wench?!"

"Pardon me?!" Kagome questioned. "It wasn't my idea!"

"Oh, just stop talking and run, already!" Inuyasha shouted as he pushed the bandit leader away.

"You heard him, Kagome!" Shippo called from outside. "Let's go!"

"I-I'm coming!" Kagome replied as she prepared to head out, but then she noticed one of the bandits lying on the floor, his leg bloodied from having gotten cut by his possessed boss's sword. She gasped silently before she went over and helped him up to his feet.

"You're...you're helping me?" asked the bandit.

"Hey, you may have kidnapped me," Kagome began, "but even I can't abandon someone who's injured!"

Inuyasha blinked at Kagome, seeming intrigued by her kindness toward the injured bandit...but then he quickly blocked another strike from the bandit leader with his brush.

"You're really persistent, aren't you?!" Inuyasha questioned as he raised the Celestial Brush to parry the sword strikes.

XXX

Meanwhile, Kagome, Shippo, and the bandits had gotten to a safer distance.

"Man...that was close," said one of the bandits. "Good thing that dog-eared guy came around!"

"What kind of guy is that, anyway?" asked another.

"That's no guy," Kagome answered while she tended to the injured bandit. "Inuyasha's a god!"

"Yeah!" Shippo added. "Can't you see his red markings?"

"What markings?" asked another bandit. "I just saw a guy with dog ears, fangs, and claws!"

"Wait...what?" Kagome asked in surprise.

XXX

"Ugh!" Inuyasha cried as he was slammed against the wall, but he quickly shook it off and got to his feet while the bandit leader approached him, holding his sword over his head, but then the Inugami growled as he stood up while holding the Celestial Brush. Then, as the tip of the brush dripped with ink, Inuyasha swung the brush across the bandit leader's chest, the ink forming a crescent-shaped blade. Not long after...the leader's body split completely in half before it collapsed on the floor.

"Keh!" Inuyasha scoffed as he walked over to the man's corpse. "Why don't you come on outta there...crow?"

Suddenly, the leader's top half twitched...and a shadowy creature suddenly burst out from his armor.

"Very perceptive, dog boy..." the creature hissed as it glared at Inuyasha with three glowing red eyes. "Even the priestess had me figured out while those other fools didn't suspect a thing."

"Why did you kidnap the wench?" asked Inuyasha.

"She's a threat, that's why," said the crow, flapping its wings. "Don't tell me you haven't noticed, by now...she has the same spiritual powers as _her_."

Inuyasha's eyes narrowed at that.

"She's not just some girl that happened to be born with spiritual powers, you know," the crow drolled. "She is the reincarnation of that same woman you attempted to save from Orochi, 50 years ago...the girl is Kikyo...and I bet you knew that, didn't you?"

Inuyasha growled at that.

"How does it feel, dog?" asked the crow. "To again stand beside the woman who betrayed you? I bet you can't even stand to look at her, don't you?"

"Be quiet," Inuyasha growled.

"Why should I?" the crow inquired. "I'm only stating the truth. In fact...I wager that the girl will betray you, one day."

"I said BE QUIET!" Inuyasha yelled as he swiped his claws at the crow, causing to screech as it was soon rent to shreds, causing it to fall to the floor...only for it to smirk.

"You know...I'm right...!" the crow whispered before its body faded away into dust.

"...Damn bird..." Inuyasha cursed as he stood up and walked away.

XXX

Kagome stood near the forest, waiting for the Inugami to return. Shippo sat on her shoulder, just as anxious as the priestess. The bandits had since dispersed from the scene. Just then, they spotted Inuyasha approaching from the bandits' hideout.

"Inuyasha!" Kagome exclaimed.

"Hey," Inuyasha said. "It was a crow demon that possessed the leader of the bandits...he ate out his heart and then took over his corpse."

"I thought so," Kagome muttered. "Carrion Crows...so disgusting."

"...Yeah, they sure are," Inuyasha snarled as he continued to walk away while Kagome and Shippo soon walked after him. "...Hey, wench."

"How long are you gonna keep calling me that?" Kagome asked in annoyance.

"How come you helped that bandit?" Inuyasha asked.

"Well...why not?" asked Kagome. "He was hurt and I wasn't gonna just leave him behind."

"Even though he helped kidnap you?" asked Shippo.

"Look, even he didn't deserve his boss suddenly turning on him, like that," said Kagome.

"...Hmph," Inuyasha scoffed. "You're soft, wench. There is such a thing as being too kind in this world, you know."

* * *

Review, please!


	7. Ch 6- Differences

**~Ch. 6- Differences~**

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Inuyasha © Rumiko Takahashi

Okami © Capcom

* * *

As the sun began to set on that day, Inuyasha, Kagome, and Shippo returned to the village...but the whole time, Kagome noticed that the Inugami was silent. When she attempted to look at him, he could only look away from her, his golden eyes half-mast and dark. Kagome could only scoff and look away from him while shaking her head incredulously.

How could someone be so childish? What was it about her that he didn't like?

It didn't matter, she felt. As far as she was concerned, the Inugami was just being a brat and nothing else. He wasn't like anything she had first thought him out to be when she was a little girl. She saw him as a misunderstood hero who had been betrayed by the villagers that he had once sworn to protect...

...Then again...she supposed she couldn't really blame him for how he was acting. Especially when she considered the fact that the woman he loved repaid his attempts to protect her by sealing him with an arrow. Was it a misguided attempt? Perhaps, but still...

As Kagome and Shippo headed inside Kaede's hut for the night...she noticed that Inuyasha was standing on the branches of a nearby tree, watching her. It was a bit dark, but she could see his golden eyes, glowing in the darkness. It was almost eerie...and yet, she could make out something she couldn't quite place in those eyes. They were soft and- though she could be wrong- somewhat sad.

_'He's so mysterious,'_ thought Kagome. _'He's avoiding eye contact with me...and yet, he also seems to hover around me. What's his deal?'_

XXX

The following day...

"I'm going to practice my archery now, Kaede!"

"Don't stray too far, child."

Kagome headed out into the fields, carrying her longbow and a quiver of arrows while Shippo followed after her. As they walked, Kagome looked out of her peripheral eye and saw Inuyasha lying on the roof of the hut. He seemed to be asleep, but she couldn't quite tell. Shrugging her shoulders, the young priestess turned and continued on her own while Shippo clung to her shoulder. As for Kaede, she was busy collecting a few herbs from her garden for medicinal purposes.

As Kaede plucked some of the herbs from her garden and place them in her basket, Inuyasha soon came and stood beside her, having landed so softly that his feet were barely heard touching the grass.

"Is there something that ye need, Inuyasha?" Kaede inquired, not turning to face him.

"...Doesn't it bother you?" Inuyasha asked.

"Does what bother me?" Kaede asked back.

"Come on, I know you're old, but you're not senile!" Inuyasha complained. "I'm talking about that wench! Doesn't it bother you that she looks like Kikyo a little?! She's even wearing the same clothes she used to wear! And she's got spiritual powers, too! How are you not disturbed by that?!"

"Settle down, Inuyasha," Kaede said as she turned and looked at the Inugami. "'Tis true that Kagome is the reincarnation of my dear sister...and that gives some demons a reason to fear her."

"And it doesn't bother you, at all?" Inuyasha asked.

"I will admit," Kaede began, "there was once a time that I actually did believe Kagome was really my sister, reborn. I took her on as my pupil, at first, because I wanted Kagome to hone her powers...and perhaps to make her in my sister's image. However, as time went on and after Kagome's dear mother passed away...I realized that she and Kikyo were two different people. Kikyo was more reserved and softspoken than Kagome, who was vibrant and always lively. As I raised Kagome in her mother's stead, I found myself comparing her to Kikyo less and less...in time, I began to love that child as if she were my own granddaughter." A smile appeared on her wrinkled face. "Since then, my life has been more...fulfilled, so to speak."

Inuyasha only blinked at Kaede in bewilderment, then glanced in the direction where Kagome and Shippo left.

"Mayhaps ye should give her a chance, as well, Inuyasha," the elderly priestess suggested. "Ye might yourself thinking differently of her, also."

"Keh!" Inuyasha scoffed. "As if..."

Yet, despite what he said...he couldn't help but feel like he was doubting his own words.

XXX

**THUNK!** The arrow's tip struck the scarecrow in the chest, causing Kagome to heave her fist up and down in triumph while Shippo was heard cheering from nearby.

"All right, Kagome!" the kit called while Kagome laughed and began to notch another arrow in her bowstring. All the while, Inuyasha stood in the branches of an oak tree, staring down at her as she shot the scarecrow, again. As he watched her, for a moment, he could picture her again...Kikyo, holding a longbow as she aimed for the scarecrow. He shook his head before he opened his eyes, and once again, he saw Kagome, who bit her lip as she continued shooting another arrow at her target. This one fell a little short, though, landing just a few feet in front of the scarecrow this time. Sucking her teeth in frustration, she went to retrieve the arrow before she went back to her proper place again.

Inuyasha couldn't help but chuckle in amusement as he watched her, the tip of his glinting fang poking out from under his lip. She seemed a bit klutzy but determined. She certainly didn't give up as easy as some women would. Back when she first released him from his seal, he merely thought of her as some crybaby. Looking at her now, however, it seemed that he might have underestimated her, just a bit. He wasn't going to let her find that out, though. Why should he, anyway?

Soon, Kagome plucked the arrows out of the scarecrow, deciding that it was time for a much-needed break. Besides, she was getting a little hungry, anyway. As she went over to sit under the oak tree, she reached into a pouch that she had slung around her shoulder and...imagine Inuyasha's surprise: she had three big, puffy, sweet bean buns in it. Inuyasha's mouth suddenly watered as he eyed the buns, which Shippo eagerly took into his hands and happily took a big bite, his cheeks swelling at least twice in size.

"Inuyasha, why don't you come down and join us?"

Inuyasha tensed as he realized that Kagome had spotted him.

"Y-you knew I was here?" he asked.

"I knew you were watching me, all along," said Kagome. "You wanna come down and eat with us? There's one for you, too."

"Keh!" Inuyasha scoffed. "No thanks. Besides, gods don't get hungry!"

**Grrrrrrrrrwwwwwwwwlll~!**

"...Uh..." Inuyasha muttered, his face turning bright red while Kagome and Shippo both giggle.

"Your stomach sure seems to say otherwise," said Kagome.

"...Well...okay," Inuyasha said as he soon jumped down from the branch and sat down between Kagome and Shippo, the latter handing him a bean bun, which he soon took a big bite out of.

"How is it?" Kagome asked.

"...Yeah...it's not bad," Inuyasha replied with his mouth full. As the trio continued their little snack, Inuyasha glanced over at Kagome, who had a bit of bean paste on her right cheek, which went unnoticed while she ate.

"You got some bean paste on your face," said Inuyasha, causing Kagome to look at him before she wiped off her left cheek, which caused him to sigh. "Wrong cheek, wench."

Kagome only sighed and rolled her eyes as she wiped her other cheek. It seemed that no matter how many times she corrected him, he wouldn't stop calling her that, so she gave up on correcting him. Honestly, she had gotten used to it, by now.

Soon, they were finished eating their buns before Kagome stood up and went to continue her practice.

_'...She actually did kinda cute while she was eating,'_ thought Inuyasha, who promptly shook his head. _'Wait a minute...did I really say that she was cute?!'_

"Oh, darn it," Kagome grumbled as her arrow ended up going a bit too far from the scarecrow. "I guess I shot it a little too far, that time." She notched another arrow in the string and prepared to shoot again.

"You're doing it wrong," Inuyasha spoke up as he stood up and walked over to her.

"Excuse me?" Kagome asked in an irritated tone.

"What do you mean she's doing it wrong?" asked Shippo, angrily. "You better not be insulting her, again!"

"Ah, be quiet!" Inuyasha spat as he went to Kagome's side. "Listen, I don't know what Kaede's been teaching you, but she hasn't been teaching you the proper stance for archery."

"I...I'm sorry?" Kagome inquired.

"Here, let me show," Inuyasha said as he took Kagome by the arms and straightened them up. "Your arms have to be as parallel to each other as possible. That way, you can use the arrowhead to guide your aim, okay?"

"Uh...yeah," Kagome answered, her cheeks flushing a light pink.

"Now straighten your back out a little," Inuyasha told her as he put his hand to her back, then looked down at her feet, "and...which foot is your dominant one?"

"Uh...my left one, I guess," Kagome answered.

"Okay, spread your feet apart and put your left foot forward," Inuyasha told her, and she did exactly that. "There...now, pull back on the arrow."

Kagome slowly pulled the bowstring, holding the arrow by its fletching.

"Okay...shoot!" Inuyasha shouted, prompting the young priestess to loose the arrow, which sailed through the air with a whistle before it struck the scarecrow right in the chest.

"Oh! Look! I got it!" Kagome exclaimed.

"Wow! Amazing, Kagome!" Shippo cheered.

"Heh," Inuyasha grinned as he crossed his arms. "Not bad, wench."

Kagome blinked at Inuyasha before she smiled at him, causing him to stare at her for a moment before he scoffed and turned away.

"Don't think this changes anything!" the Inugami spat. "I just thought I'd help out, that's all." With that, he soon walked away. "Anyway, if you're done here, I think we should start looking for the rest of my powers."

"You wanna leave, right now?" asked Kagome.

"Duh," Inuyasha replied. "I wanna leave while it's still daylight out, at least!"

"If you're worried about that, just make the sun shine again," said Shippo, causing the Inugami to growl in annoyance.

"Where do you think we should head, next?" asked Kagome.

"I have a feeling I found the only powers I could from Yomigami and Tachigami," said Inuyasha. "The other gods are scattered throughout Nippon, so I have to go out and find them."

"...You know," Kagome began, "we could look in Shinshu Field. That's not far from here."

"Shinshu Field, huh?" asked Inuyasha.

"Hey, wait a minute, Kagome!" cried Shippo. "Shinshu Field is in the direction where we heard that scary roar, a few nights ago, remember?! What if we run into...whatever it was that made it?!"

"If you guys are scared, then just stay here," said Inuyasha. "You'll just slow me down, anyway. You'll probably end up getting kidnapped again!"

"Hey, I wouldn't have gotten kidnapped if you hadn't taken so long getting back!" Kagome argued.

"Hey, it ain't my fault!" Inuyasha countered. "Yomigami and Tachigami are such chatterboxes!"

"Ugh..." Shippo groaned as he listened to Kagome and Inuyasha go back and forth. "These two are acting like a couple of kids...and that's saying something because _I'm_ a kid!"

Ultimately, Inuyasha had lost the argument with Kagome, who insisted on accompanying him to Shinshu Field. It seemed that no matter what he said, this wench was just either too stupid or too stubborn to back down...and yet, for some reason, he found himself feeling a strange warmth welling up inside him. He didn't know why, but...he almost seemed to _like _arguing with her. She actually challenged him...and he actually liked that. He didn't think there was any mortal who would actually do that...and yet, he found himself liking it.

_'I gotta hand it to her,'_ he thought. _'The wench has guts...and I like a girl with guts.'_

As the trio headed out toward Shinshu Field, Inuyasha momentarily glanced back at Kagome, who had her bow, arrows, and a pack full of supplies.

_'I guess...she really is different from Kikyo...'_

* * *

Looks like things are warming up between them a little. ;)

Review, please!


	8. Ch 7- Orochi's Curse

**~Ch. 7- Orochi's Curse~**

* * *

Inuyasha © Rumiko Takahashi

Okami © Capcom

* * *

Kagome gaped in horror as she stared at the sight before her. Even Shippo looked quite disheartened by the scene in front of him while Inuyasha remained surprisingly stoic, crossing his arms with a nonchalant expression. What was it that made Kagome and Shippo looked so shocked, one might ask?

All of Shinshu Field...was covered in a giant, blackish-red cloud. The grass, once green and lush, was now brown and dry. The lake had dried up. All the wildlife had fled to save themselves from the darkness...and in the midst of all was an old tree, bare of flower petals of any kind.

It was truly a horrifying sight.

"I don't believe it," said Kagome, sadly. "This place was full of grass and animals...and the water from Lake Harami was always glistening. Now, it's covered in this...black cloud."

"What is that?" asked Shippo. "It almost makes it hard to breathe!"

"This is because of Orochi returning," said Inuyasha. "Now that he's free, he's placed a curse upon the land. Nature itself is dying."

"Isn't there anything we can do for it?!" Kagome asked as she looked up at Inuyasha. "We can't leave it like this, can we?!"

Inuyasha glanced down at the priestess before he looked toward the very heart of the field, where he saw the old tree.

"Well...there is a way to dispel the curse," said the Inugami. "You see that tree there? It's called a Guardian Sapling. A long time ago, a Wood Sprite by the name of Sakuya planted several of those throughout Nippon. They were supposed to bloom, all year 'round...but now that Orochi's back..."

"...I get it," Shippo said, worriedly. "He's trying to keep the Guardian Saplings from blooming again."

"Well...can't we find a way to make them bloom, again?" asked Kagome. "There must be something we can do!"

"Take it easy, will ya?!" Inuyasha questioned. "Look, I'd make the tree bloom if I had the power, but I don't right now! For now, we just have to avoid the curse. If we set even one foot in that black fog, we're dead meat."

Shippo gulped. "I'd very much NOT like to be dead meat, thank you."

Kagome bit her lip in despair, but tried her damnedest not to give up. This was no time for tears. If Inuyasha truly had the power to restore the land the way it was, then by the gods, she was going to help him find it. They came out this far, so there must be something that could point them in the right direction.

"Hey, look!" Shippo suddenly exclaimed as he pointed toward the west. "There's a house...and a man out in front of it!"

Inuyasha and Kagome both saw a shirtless man wearing a headband around his forehead and what appeared to be a fox pelt around his shoulders. He had a pair of white hakama pants and a pair of boots on, too, not to mention a yellow haramaki sash around his waist. He stood outside of a wooden cabin, which sat near the entrance of a huge cave as he continuously chopped some wood with his ax.

"Who's that guy?" Inuyasha asked while Kagome gasped.

"I know him!" she exclaimed. "My Dad and I used to come out here and see him sometimes when I was little!"

"Does he have a name?" asked Inuyasha.

"Well...not really," Kagome answered. "We just referred to him as the Nameless Man. Come to think of it, he actually comes from a long line of men who protected a place known as Hana Valley."

"Maybe we should talk to him," Shippo suggested. "He might know something."

"Let me handle talking to him," said Kagome as she approached the Nameless Man's hut. "He knows me, after all." She then waved her arm toward the man. "Hello~! Nameless Man!"

"Hmm?" the Nameless Man hummed before he looked up and saw Kagome approach, along with Inuyasha and Shippo. "Well, if isn't Li'l Kagome? Long time, no see!"

"Nameless Man," Kagome said, "do you know what happened out here?"

"I have absolutely no idea," said the Nameless Man. "One minute, I'm out here just choppin' wood and communing with nature, just as I always do...next thing I know, I heard this terrifying sound...like a monster roaring, and then this huge wind came blowing! I got knocked out, but when I woke up, nearly all of Shinshu Field is covered in this thick, black fog!"

"Thanks, Captain Obvious," Inuyasha muttered, prompting Kagome to nudge him in the side. "Ow!"

"Now, I can't even get to work," said the Nameless Man before he gestured across a bare stream. "See this dry riverbed? My workshop was on the other side, but it got swallowed up by the fog, and when I tried to go near it, suddenly, I felt like I couldn't breathe! I had to hightail it outta there!"

"This happened when Orochi first woke up from being sealed," Inuyasha mused. "Odds are this curse has been going on for a few days."

"If that's the case," Shippo began, "then it won't be much longer until all of Shinshu Field is swallowed up by the curse!"

"Yeah, it's a real drag, my little foxy friend," said the Nameless Man. "All I can do is pray that Mother Earth returns to normal soon."

Kagome sighed as she looked toward the giant cursed fog...and she could see it slowly eating away at the grass and flowers. It was getting dangerously close to the Guardian Sapling, too. Something had to be done about this and fast. This land was part of her childhood, for crying out loud. She'd be damned if she let it die like this!

That's when she noticed the entrance to the cave nearby.

"What's that, there?" asked Inuyasha.

"Ah, yes," said the Nameless Man. "That cave is the entrance to Hana Valley. It was once home to a gorgeous waterfall! But that was then and this is now. All kinds of demons have been skulking around in there, man."

"D...demons...?!" Shippo squeaked.

"Aren't _you_ a demon, squirt?" Inuyasha asked.

"And they also say there's some sort of trippy crystal ball that could make plants grow enshrined in the valley," the Nameless Man added, which caused one of Inuyasha's ears to twitch.

"A crystal ball, huh?" he asked as a toothy smirk appeared on his face.

"You think it's worth looking into, Inuyasha?" Kagome inquired.

"Damn right, it is," Inuyasha replied. "Come on, we're going in there."

"But...what about the demons?!" asked Shippo.

"Shippo, we don't have to worry about the demons as long as Inuyasha's around," said Kagome.

"If you don't like it, runt, you can stay out here," Inuyasha growled.

"Uh...no thanks," said Shippo as he clung to Kagome's shoulder, and with that said, the trio entered the cave, heading deep into Hana Valley.

XXX

"Well...it's a little better here than it is, out there," said Shippo.

"Yeah...but it's not too much better," Kagome replied.

The trio found themselves within a desolate valley. The water was murky and brown with sludge and muck. The wind that blew was ominous and foreboding, almost as if it was telling the group to turn back. The trees were bare of any flowers or fruit.

To put it simply, Hana Valley had certainly seen better days.

"Well, we better get movin'," said Inuyasha as he walked forward, and Kagome followed not long after while Shippo nervously looked around for any signs of monsters or demons. As they walked, Inuyasha's ears suddenly twitched as he looked up, prompting Kagome to stop in her tracks. He could hear the sound of a tweeting flute and the plucking of strings.

How strange.

"You hear that?" Inuyasha asked as his ears swiveled.

"...Yeah...I think I do," Kagome answered. "It sounds like music."

"Who'd be playing music out here in this spooky place?" asked Shippo.

"...I think I know," Kagome spoke up as she pointed ahead...and that's when they saw them: a small group of imps, sitting around a bonfire, playing flutes and a biwa while some drank sake to their hearts' content.

"Heh," Inuyasha smirked as he grabbed his Celestial Brush. "This is too perfect. I'll get the jump on 'em while their backs are turned." He then glanced back at Kagome and Shippo. "You two can just sit and watch. I'll deal with these chumps."

"Hey, I could help, too, you know!" Kagome argued.

"Keh!" Inuyasha scoffed. "As if, wench."

"It's Kago...oh, forget it..." she grumbled in exasperation while Inuyasha snuck up behind the imps. As he brandished his brush, the imps didn't even seem to notice him approach...at first. Suddenly, one of the imps screeched upon seeing the Inugami, who quickly lunged forward just as the imps turned around. With one fell swing of his brush, he soon sliced three of them in half with a Power Slash, a blade of ink bisecting their bodies. One armed with a biwa tried to hit him from behind, but Inuyasha smirked as he flexed his claws and soon swiped, slicing through the instrument and the imp's body like it was mere paper. Kagome gulped as she hid behind a rock along with Shippo as she watched the Inugami fight off the demons with such intense ferocity.

They were glad he was on their side.

As two more imps tried to attack Inuyasha from the side, he swung his Celestial Brush again, slicing through them with another blade of ink, causing them to fall to the ground. Soon, there was just one more left. The imp circled him menacingly, holding its biwa on its back, but the Inugami wasn't intimidated. He glared as he clutched the Celestial Brush, a growl rumbling in his chest. The imp charged, holding its biwa over its head like a club...but Inuyasha smirked as he threw his hand out and grabbed the imp's head, stopping it in mid-air. He growled as he squeezed the imp's head as tight as he could...and then, there was a sickening crunch before the struggling demon's body went limp. Its body soon dissipated in a cloud of dust.

The battle had been won.

"Wow! You did it!" Shippo exclaimed.

"That was easy!" Kagome added.

"Heh," Inuyasha smirked. "All in a day's work for a god like me."

As soon as he said this, there was this bright green glow, and for a moment, the brown, murky water suddenly turned clear and blue and rocks laden with fresh moss and flowers grew out...but all too soon, it quickly disappeared.

"Huh?" Kagome asked. "What happened?"

"Damn," Inuyasha cursed as he looked down at the water. "This curse must be stronger than I thought. Something here is interfering with the divine powers of the gods."

"Then I guess we'll just have to go deeper, huh?" asked Kagome.

"I dunno, Kagome," Shippo said. "Maybe we shouldn't get in over our heads, here."

"The runt's got a point," Inuyasha quipped. "You sure you don't wanna call it quits?"

Kagome only sneered at the Inugami before she threw her head up and strode off, walking past Inuyasha and heading deeper into the valley. The Inugami blinked after her, surprised by her gesture...but then his lips turned up into a crooked grin, his fang poking out from underneath. He could smell the confidence just permeating off of her.

_'...I think I might be starting to like this wench.'_

"Well?" Kagome asked as she turned to face him. "Are you coming or not?"

"Yeah, yeah, I'm coming," Inuyasha replied as he followed after her...however, as they ventured further into Hana Valley, they didn't seem to notice that they, themselves, were being followed as well.

* * *

Don't worry, Kagome will get her moment in the next chapter. ;)

Of course, this will be the last chapter I can put out for now. There are some waiting in the wings, I just wanna make sure I do a few more so I have a bit of a buffer.

Review, please!


	9. Ch 8- Sakigami

**~Ch. 8- Sakigami~**

* * *

Inuyasha © Rumiko Takahashi

Okami © Capcom

* * *

"WHOA!" Kagome cried as she ducked her head to avoid what looked flying rotted fruit...which came from a moving tree with ominous flames around it.

"What is that thing?!" asked Shippo.

"Demon Tree!" Inuyasha shouted as he dodged another flying fruit from the tree. "Just run for it! It might be a nuisance, but it's best to just ignore it for now!"

Kagome yelped as she ducked to avoid a swing from the Demon Tree's branches, then she hurriedly scrambled to her feet and ran after Inuyasha while Shippo scampered on ahead of them. They hurried along an old wooden bridge, but as they did, Kagome shrieked as her foot broke through a rotten plank, causing Inuyasha to gasp as he ran back and grabbed her hand.

"What are you doing, stupid?!" Inuyasha questioned as he pulled Kagome up onto solid ground. "Jeez!"

Kagome panted before she glanced down at the murky water below before she gulped, nervously, then looked at the Inugami.

"Th...thanks, Inuyasha," she said.

"Yeah, well...don't let it happen, again," Inuyasha rebuked. "I'm not always gonna be around to save your neck, you know!"

Kagome only pouted at the Inugami before she continued to follow after him, and Shippo, after catching his breath, jumped onto her shoulder.

"Boy, he sure is a grouch," said Shippo.

"Yeah...but I guess he has SOME good in him," said Kagome as she stared at Inuyasha's back. "He did save me, after all."

As she said this, her eyes seemed to soften a little as she continued to stare at the back of the Inugami.

_'He's so mysterious,' _she thought. _'He acts so surly, but he still helps me out...what's his deal, anyway?'_

So deep in her thoughts was Kagome...she didn't even notice that Inuyasha had stopped walking until she accidentally bumped into him from behind, causing him to stumble forward.

"Watch where you're going, will ya?!" Inuyasha questioned.

"You're the one who stopped all of a sudden!" Kagome argued.

"Yeah, but only because I saw THAT!" Inuyasha spat as he pointed toward a large stone mural...that was covered in foreboding red ink.

"W-what's that?" Shippo asked.

"I dunno," Inuyasha replied. "Whatever it is, it's being sealed by evil magic."

No sooner did he say this that he heard the familiar sound of ominous flute music.

"And speak of the devil..." he mused before he turned around, and sure enough, two green imps appeared, screeching and growling at the Inugami, who smirked as he drew his Celestial Brush. "You chumps just don't know when to quit, do ya?"

All of a sudden, he felt the ground tremble, and before Inuyasha knew it, he was thrown up into the air by a large yellow imp with tattered clothing and a large taiko drum!

"Whoa!" Kagome and Shippo cried while Inuyasha righted himself in the air, then landed on his feet while the large yellow imp beat his drum with two large bones, then it quickly burrowed its way underground.

"Playing hide-and-seek, are we?" asked Inuyasha. "Fine. I'll deal with your two little buddies, first, then you're next!"

"Behind you!" Shippo cried as he pointed behind Inuyasha, who whirled around just in time to use a Power Slash on one of the green imps, which soon fell to the ground, dead behind him.

"Now where's that other one?" he asked as he looked around...but then, he felt the ground quake again, causing him to look down, only to be thrown up into the air again by the yellow imp, which seemed to laugh at him while he screamed in alarm.

"Inuyasha!" Kagome cried while the Inugami crashed to the ground.

"Ooh, that's gotta hurt!" Shippo winced.

"Are you okay, Inuyasha?!" Kagome asked.

"Ugh..." Inuyasha groaned as he stood up. "I'm just having an off day." As he turned around, he saw that the imp had disappeared once again. As he tried to pinpoint where it was going to show up, the other green imp tried to rush him from the front, only for the Inugami to slam his knee right into its face, then cut it down with a Power Slash. It was then that he felt the ground shake, knowing what was about to happen.

"Nice try!" he exclaimed as he jumped high into the air, just as the yellow imp burst out of the ground. "You won't use the same trick on me, twice!"

"Inuyasha, hang on!" Kagome shouted as she notched an arrow into her bow and after taking steady aim, she fired at the imp, the arrow itself leaving a streak of clear pink light tailing behind it as the arrowhead struck the foul creature, causing it to let an unearthly shriek. "Now!"

"Take THIS!" Inuyasha shouted as he used the Celestial Brush to Power Slash through the imp, slicing it completely in half.

All that was left of the imp was a small patch of flowers.

"That takes care of them," said Inuyasha.

"I bet you're glad I helped, huh?" Kagome asked, only for the Inugami to snort as he rolled his eyes, which caused her to pout. "You know, a 'thank you' wouldn't kill you!"

"Yeah! Kagome didn't have to help you, you know!" Shippo shouted.

"Whatever," Inuyasha muttered as he glanced up at the mural. "Anyway, look at this."

As Kagome and Shippo followed the Inugami's gaze, they saw that the red ink had vanished, revealing a picture of a small gathering of people kneeling before some sort of orb, and after that came a picture of a tiny sprout, which grew into a magnificent tree.

"So, what is this supposed to be?" asked Kagome.

"It's said that a crystal ball is enshrined in this place," Inuyasha answered. "The crystal ball itself has the power to make even the tiniest sprouts grow into huge trees in no time at all."

"Wow...!" Kagome whispered.

"...Hey," Shippo said as he squinted his eyes at the mural. "Doesn't something seem a little off to you?"

"What do you mean?" asked Kagome.

"Look at that empty space in the upper right corner," said Shippo as he pointed at the mural. "It feels like something should be there, shouldn't it?"

"...Huh," Kagome muttered as she took a closer look. "Now that I take a better look, it does feel like there's something missing."

"...I wonder," Inuyasha mused as he held up the Celestial Brush and painted a circle in the corner...and not long after, the sun appeared in the mural, shining down on the crystal orb that the people were worshipping.

"Oh! The sun!" Kagome exclaimed. "That's what was missing!"

"And the picture looks so much better!" Shippo added. "You have an eye for art, huh, Inuyasha?"

"Well...I don't like to brag," Inuyasha smirked...but then, all of the sudden, the mural began to glow, and following that, the ground began to tremble, causing Kagome and Shippo to yelp as they grabbed onto Inuyasha, who stumbled forward in surprise.

"What's going on?!" Kagome asked.

"Is it another monster?!" Shippo questioned.

"GET OFF MY BACK!" Inuyasha shouted as he threw them off.

"Ow! Watch it!" Kagome cried as she rubbed her bottom...but then, as she looked up, the boulder in front of them started to glow as the sun emblem on the mural appeared. Soon after, it exploded into smithereens, causing a river of muddy water to flow.

"Hey, look! A path opened up for us!" Shippo exclaimed.

"Thank you, Captain Obvious," said Inuyasha, causing the young fox demon to pout. "Anyway, let's keep moving and see where this leads."

"Right," Kagome nodded. "Hopefully, we'll be able to find a way to bring things back to normal around here."

With that, they soon headed deeper within the valley, following the path to see where it would lead them, and it wasn't long before they found themselves standing before a teeny, tiny little sapling, still fresh and green, and before that was a large stone pedestal.

"Aww, what a cute little sapling!" said Kagome as she kneeled in front of it to get a closer look. "It's actually nice to see something so alive in such a desolate place, for once."

"Yeah, but why is it growing here?" asked Shippo as he looked around. "Where are we, anyway?"

"I don't think we'll find out anything just sitting here," said Inuyasha before he glanced over at another path that led away from the chamber. "Let's keep moving. I have a feeling we'll find the answer the further we go."

With that, they began to head further down, following the path of stones until they reached the innermost chamber of the valley...but then, as Inuyasha looked up, he gasped and began to double back, almost bumping into Kagome.

"What?!" Kagome asked. "What is it?! A demon?!"

"No...and for god's sake, keep your voice down...!" Inuyasha whispered.

"Why?" Kagome asked before she followed Inuyasha's line of sight...only to gasp and then cover her mouth. "Oh, no...!"

The reason why they were so shocked? There was a big, brown bear in the middle of the room, standing on top of a giant green sphere with a red swirl in the middle...and somehow, it was asleep.

"A bear...!" Kagome whispered in fright.

"W-w-what do we do, Inuyasha?" asked Shippo, nervously.

"What are you asking me for?!" Inuyasha asked, trying to keep his voice as low as possible.

"Well, you're the god!" Kagome whispered, harshly.

"Yeah, but even I'm not dumb enough to wake up a sleeping bear...!" Inuyasha whispered, but then he, Kagome, and Shippo yelped as they heard the bear give a growling yawn, rubbing his eye...only to return to his slumber, causing them to sigh in relief.

"Okay...let's do the smart thing and back away, REAL slow," Inuyasha instructed. "Maybe there's another path we can take."

"Good idea," Kagome agreed before they turned to silently creep away...but as Shippo took a step forward, there was a loud snap, causing them to tense up as they turned around to see that the young fox demon had accidentally stepped on a dry twig.

"I'm sorry...!" he squeaked...and that's when they heard a very unsettling growl behind them, causing them to turn and see the bear roaring as it raised its arms!

"AAAH!" Shippo screamed as he and Kagome hid behind Inuyasha, who drew the Celestial Brush.

"HE'S GONNA RIP US TO SHREDS!" Kagome cried.

"I guess there's no choice, then!" Inuyasha added. "PREPARE YOURSELF!"

But then, to their astonishment...the bear only gave a groggy yawn before he toppled off the sphere that he was standing and fell to the ground...and not long after, he began to snore loudly, a bubble forming in his nostril.

"Uh...anticlimactic," Kagome muttered.

"He sure does snore," Shippo added.

"Tell me about it," Inuyasha agreed before he noticed the orb that the bear was tottering on just before he fell down. "What's with this sphere, anyway?"

"I don't know," Kagome replied as she approached it, "but it sure looks pretty.'

"Do you think it might be treasure?" Shippo asked as he marveled at the round jewel.

"I doubt that," Inuyasha replied as he looked at the orb, as well. "Although I can't help thinking that maybe this thing has some importance."

"Come to think of it," Kagome began, "didn't we see something like this, before?"

"...Oh!" Shippo suddenly piped up. "That ancient mural! It had a sphere in the picture, just like this!"

"Hey, that's right!" Kagome replied. "This must be the crystal sphere that makes plants grow!"

"Must be," Inuyasha said, "and I think I have an idea about where it should go."

XXX

Inuyasha whistled a tune to himself as he rolled the crystal sphere down the path while Shippo ran along on top of it, giggling like a little kid the whole way as the trio found themselves back in the altar where the tiny sapling grew. It was then that Inuyasha rolled the sphere up to the stone pillar and placed the orb in its pedestal, where a small geyser of water began gushing, raising the orb into the air.

"So that really is the crystal sphere!" said Kagome.

"Yep," Inuyasha replied before he looked up at the dark sky. "And if I'm right..." He raised the Celestial Brush and drew a circle in the sky, causing the sun to emerge and for all darkness to flee the valley, as well as bringing a sense of calm and tranquility to the later. As the sun's warm rays hit the sphere, the rays soon reflected off the orb in a beam of light, which hit the sapling...and in doing so, the tiny plant began to grow into a tall and mighty tree. Not just any tree, either, but it was actually a Guardian Sapling, just like the one outside!

"Whoa!" Shippo exclaimed. "That's amazing!"

"So my hunch was right," Inuyasha said while holding the Celestial Brush over his shoulder. "That was a Guardian Sapling."

"But...it's all withered and bare, just like the one outside," said Kagome, sadly, as she looked at the tree's withered branches. "Don't tell me we came here for nothing."

Just then, there was a twinkle of light coming from somewhere in the sky, causing the three to look up...and that's when they spotted a shape in the stars.

"What's that?" asked Shippo.

"It's a constellation," Inuyasha answered. "One of the Celestial Brush Gods is trapped in it."

"Then how do we get him out?" asked Kagome.

"Like this," Inuyasha said as he held up his brush again and painted two little dots, creating two of the stars that were missing in the constellation. Not long after, there was a flash of light, and Inuyasha, Kagome, and Shippo found themselves standing in a vast plain of flowers and clouds as a white monkey with the same red markings as Inuyasha, and in his hand was a shō. As the monkey twirled about, extravagantly, he soon bowed before the three, causing Kagome and Shippo to clap their hands while Inuyasha yawned with his chin propped in his palm.

"Hello, Sakigami," he said, boredly.

"Ah, if it isn't the Great Inugami, Inuyasha!" Sakigami exclaimed. "The origin of all that is good! You have my gratitude for freeing me from my slumber. Please accept my humble thanks in exchange for your kindness."

"Well, it's more like I want my powers back..." Inuyasha muttered, causing Kagome to nudge him in the side. "Hey!"

"Don't be rude!" she chided.

"I, Sakigami, one of the three Hanagami members, bestow upon you the power of one of the three Greensprout Brush Techniques: the power of Bloom," Sakigami proclaimed. "Use it well."

With that, the monkey soon shrank down in a ball of light before Inuyasha absorbed it into his chest. Soon after, the trio found themselves standing in front of the withered Guardian Sapling again.

"What was that all about?" asked Shippo.

"I just got one of my powers back, that's what," Inuyasha replied.

"Sakigami said that was one of the three Greensprout techniques, right?" asked Kagome.

"Yeah, Bloom's just one of them," said Inuyasha. "I still have 10 powers left to find. Bloom is just one part of the Greensprout techniques. Once I get all three, that'll count as the whole thing."

"So...what does Bloom do?" Shippo inquired, causing Inuyasha to smirk before he raised his Celestial Brush, then painted a circle around the top of the Guardian Sapling...and then, there was a bright flash of light as the air was filled with the scent of cherry blossoms. It was then that a wave of flowers suddenly burst from the Guardian Sapling, bringing with it life and fresh, clean water as it spread throughout the valley...and the darkened skies that hung over this part of the land became bright as the Guardian Sapling bloomed in all its splendor. When Kagome opened her eyes, she and Shippo both gaped in awe at the sapling's glow as cherry blossom petals fluttered to the ground.

"It's...it's beautiful...!" Kagome whispered. "Look at all these blossoms!"

"There are thousands of them!" Shippo exclaimed.

"Heh," Inuyasha smirked. "All in a day's work for me."

Kagome turned to the inugami, who blinked at her in confusion before she bowed her head to him.

"Thank you," she said. "I'm so sorry I doubted you."

"Uh...y-yeah, okay," Inuyasha muttered. "Whatever...anyway, I'm pretty sure we lifted part of Orochi's curse from Hana Valley, so let's go back to Shinshu Field. Once we get the Guardian Sapling there to bloom, everything should be back to normal there, right?"

"Yeah!" Kagome answered.

"Well, what are we waiting for?" Shippo asked. "We got a curse to lift!"

With that, they headed back the way they came. As they did, Inuyasha glanced over at Kagome, who had the biggest, brightest smile she could ever muster as she took in all the beautiful sights of the valley...and for some reason, Inuyasha could smell this scent that smelled sweeter than any of the flowers that bloomed. It made him feel warm and his heart started fluttering inside his chest.

He didn't know why...but he felt like he wanted to see that smile more often.

* * *

Before anyone says anything, yes, I know it's been nearly a year, but I'm back at it again. Hopefully, I have not gotten rusty with this story.

Review, please!


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